In 1966, famed Director Francois Truffaut created a book format study/admiration of his friend and Director Alfred Hitchcock called "Cinema According to Hitchcock.
Last year, documentary filmmaker Ken Jones assembled plenty of clips of the two directors meeting and discussing their craft, along with the thoughts of many of today's best filmmakers on Hitch's influence on their work.
HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT is an interesting glimpse into one of film's best minds, his influences and the impact he's had on others.
It's great to see Directors like David Fincher (Se7en, The Social Network) and Peter Bogdonavich (What's Up Doc, Paper Moon) talk about Truffaut's book and how it changed the course of their work as young filmmakers.
Paul Schrader and Martin Scorsese provide insight into how Hitch influenced their films and we hear long clips of the Truffaut interviews of Hitch.
In preparation for the book, the two spent two weeks together at a table, with an interpreter between them, sharing stories of their lives. Hitch is very open on his feelings on his films, his actors and his audience. It's fascinating for fans.
It never quite reaches the interest level or momentum that the similar "DePalma" (2016) does, perhaps because in that doc, DePalma sits and addresses the camera for two hours, giving you a film class on method and technique.
The black and white clips and recordings of the Hitchcock/Truffaut meetings can't convey that same sense of intimacy, but there are still telling moments that give you a peak into the master of suspense and his thought process.
HITCHCOCK/TRUFFAUT is a must for film buffs or fans of Hitch's work, but might be a bit too technical for a casual fan.
I enjoyed it and will definitely go back and watch it again once I've completed seeing all of Hitchcock's films. I'll give it a B-.
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